


tyrus oneshots

by theresnourieandme



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Angst, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-09-30 18:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20451416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theresnourieandme/pseuds/theresnourieandme
Summary: Cyrus smiled without a thought, even though he wondered what he was doing. Maybe that day wasn't particularly productive for writing the script for the play, or for the composition of the soundtracks, but surely TJ didn't seem so dickhead anymore. "Maybe one day."{By 'Your cure'}





	1. It all fell down.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ Kippen has grown up. He's married, has a daughter and is quite happy. But a question from his daughter brings him back to when he was fourteen, sitting on a bench with Cyrus Goodman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi! I wrote this one-shot before 3x20 aired, and I thought the bench scene was going to be something like this. Instead, I have to say that I am very happy with the way they wrote it, even though I was very surprised at the fact that it had not been made clear at the beginning, but now I think it is perfect as it is uwu. Anyway, I hope you like it! R&R.

"Dad, dad! How was your first kiss?"

TJ Kippen sighed. Like a sudden tide, the memory of that night came to his mind. The crackle of fire filled the air around them. The wooden bench on which they were sitting seemed uncomfortable, like every single sentence coming out of their lips.

_"I still can't believe Buffy won the last game, even though all the others were a disaster." TJ chuckled at the bonfire light. "A total disaster," he emphasized._

_He hinted at a smile, without saying anything for a few minutes. "Do you think Andi will actually go to SAVA next year?"_

_TJ shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe." He looked at his eyes as black and deep as the night that enveloped them, bright as the stars above them. They had been looking at each another for quite a while, so he took the initiative, because he knew that those calm eyes would never do that. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked, just as he looked down at their hands, almost too close._

_Cyrus raised his head and TJ got lost in his dark eyes again. Cyrus' hand grabbed his in a fit of courage, while his lips opened a little, though no sound could come out. "It's just that... I'm sorry I was a bad friend. You spent a lot of time with Kira and I didn't want to intrude."_

_TJ shook his head. "You shouldn't apologize, but I should. Our friendship is more important than her."_

_Cyrus smiled earnestly, then his face darkened. "I saw you two on the swings that day. I came to the park to bring you the shirt I sent you the picture of, but you were with Kira and you looked really happy, so I left."_

_TJ felt his heart clenched in pain: he knew he had really hurt the only person he really cared about, and he regretted it bitterly. "I'm sorry, I had no idea."_

_Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. "How could you? I left like a coward, which I most likely am."_

_TJ even more squeezed his hand in a rush of pure courage. He held his breath as he shook his head. "No, Cyrus, you are the bravest person I know." Cyrus came out with a genuinely confused and surprised expression, so TJ continued. "I heard in the corridors you came out with your parents."_

_"What?" he asked in a high-pitched voice. "How long has this news been going on?"_

_TJ shrugged his shoulders, because he honestly didn't care. "The point is that I, as badass as I may seem, would never have the courage to do so. And I don't think I'll ever have it."_

_Cyrus raised his eyebrows. "What are you trying to say?"_

_The blonde sighed soundly. "I will never have the courage to tell my family that I'm gay."_

_Cyrus opened wide his eyes and straightened his back. He obviously didn't expect it. "If you put it this way, you might think it's a joke, but I swear it's not. I like you, more than just a friend."_

_TJ nodded. Cyrus thought he wouldn't understand him, but there he was, seriously considering the idea of trying with him that unique feeling that only the first kiss can give. He could already see himself go around the school, hand in hand with his Underdog, telling everyone that Cyrus Goodman was his best friend, his boyfriend and maybe even the only person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "I like you too, chocolate chocolate-chip muffin," he said._

_Cyrus' eyes shone even brighter. He smiled earnestly and embraced him with momentum. "I promise that I won't be a sticky boyfriend, neither too protective, nor toxic in any way, nor-"_

_"You made the idea" TJ laughed, taking him by the shoulders and gently pushing him away. "I should've told you a long time ago, Cy."_

_Cyrus hinted at a smile and belittled his words with a hand gesture. "The important thing is that you did it, Teej."_

_TJ nodded and smiled. There were a few moments of silence, but not the embarrassing ones: they remained to admire each other, as hypnotized by the face of their partner. "Can I?"_

_Cyrus frowned for a moment. "Can you what?" he asked, perplexingly._

_"Can I kiss you?" His stomach decided to twist on himself, and TJ felt that clamp down on his chest described in all the books his mother kept stacked on her bedside table and that he occasionally browsed. He didn't expect a definitive answer, not even a proper answer, so he simply approached the guy next to him._

_Cyrus put his hand on his chest, nipping his intention in the bud and causing him a shiver down his back. "I should probably tell you it's not my first kiss."_

_TJ frowned. "All right, you couldn't even tell me. I don't care, and you can even don't tell me who it was with."_

_Cyrus nodded. "But I want to tell you. It was with a girl, Iris. But the only two kisses we gave each other seemed so wrong."_

_"And so, you confirmed your suspicion of being gay." Cyrus nodded again as TJ finished the speech for him. "It doesn't matter." He winked before continuing: "I'll still be the first boy you'll kiss." Cyrus smiled softly, and for TJ it was the most beautiful smile of the world. He pulled the moor in a warm embrace. The party had been really fun and singing with his friends had pleased him: he was glad that finally both Buffy and Andi and Jonah had accepted him into their group, more or less._

_Cyrus pushed him a little bit away, just enough to take him by the collar of the dark hoodie and take the initiative for the kiss. They both closed their eyes, tasting each other's lips and the sweet moment that enveloped them. Cyrus' lips tasted like cinnamon and chocolate, freshly baked Christmas cookies and holiday flavour. TJ felt the typical knot in his stomach that characterized every moment he spent with his little man, his breath blocked, his heart racing like it was in a Formula 1 race. Finally, he was home, he had found his soulmate. His greatest wish had come true: to love and be loved by someone who would make him feel accepted._

"It was really special, with someone I loved very much."

His daughter, Buffy, nodded. She looked seven or eight years old, even though she was only six. "Was he the daddy?"

TJ shook his head but smiled. He really loved his husband, but, as they say, you never forget your first love. "No, his name was Cyrus."

"And why didn't you two stay together?"

"It's complicated," TJ said only. He didn't think her daughter was ready for that story, for the cruelty with which Cyrus had been killed, for his sad tears poured day and night for months and months. "I loved him to death, but we were very young."

"And don't you regret not being with him?"

TJ felt the tears in his eyes after so many years. "Very much."


	2. It's all for you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ’s playing a basketball game, and at some point he dedicates a basket to Cyrus, his boyfriend. The rest of the school, though, thinks the basket is for Buffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I love writing fluff Tyrus because they're so pure and soft! Also, Buffy is a real queen so I had to introduce her. Hope you enjoy!

"Everybody's looking at you," Buffy said, talking to Cyrus, who was sitting right next to her. The crowd cheered because TJ, the captain of the Jefferson Middle School basketball team, scored but many of the boys around them turned to look at them.

Cyrus blushed, but looked at the faces of their peers, not encountering any glance. "I actually think they're looking at you, Buffy."

She frowned. "But TJ didn't just dedicate the basket to me."

"I know," he replied. Andi and Jonah listened in silence beside them. "But no one knows that TJ and I are together, besides you. So, the others think he's straight and, by extension, he's pointed you."

Buffy snorted annoyedly and made a sign with her hand to those who were still staring at her to stop. "Why don't you just tell everyone?"

Cyrus looked at her badly for a moment but then turned his total attention to his beautiful boyfriend on the court, who occasionally glanced at him and smiled.

At the end of the game, which ended with the Jefferson team winning, Cyrus reached TJ on the court as everyone made their way to the exit. He smiled softly, proud of him, and patted him a few pats on the shoulder. "Teej, you were great!"

He smiled in response and put his arm around his shoulders, leading him out. As they walked, TJ slipped his hand down his back, which caused a great shiver throughout his body, before he took his hand. Cyrus looked at him confused but really happy. "The arm around your shoulders smell too much of friends," he justified himself.

Cyrus smiled, feeling that relief and happiness that was unfamiliar to him. He had felt that way only one more time, when TJ had confessed to telling police about the gun Reed had brought that afternoon. He didn't say anything, but he knew that the blonde next to him had interpreted that silence as a positive response: in fact, Cyrus' muscles had relaxed and he had squeezed his hand more tightly, perhaps unconsciously.

They enjoyed that moment, because, even if they still didn't know, the next day, at school, an unwelcome rumor would break out.

The following day, Cyrus walked into school with Buffy, and as they walked through the hallways everyone followed them with their eyes, curious about what would happen next. Andi and Jonah reached them worried.

"I've heard rumors around that Buffy and TJ are together," Jonah warned them. "Cyrus, maybe you should talk to him."

Cyrus came out with a grimace. "I wanted to, but yesterday I didn't want to make his face darkening after the game. We decided not to tell anyone because he didn't feel ready, but I wouldn't know what to invent to get Buffy out of this situation."

The direct concerned shrugged. "It's okay, Cyrus. We can wait a few days and then I'll put the rumor that we've broken up."

Cyrus bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't want to involve her best friend, but he didn't want to force TJ to come out to school either. "No, we will get you out of this, I promise you."

They split up as the bell rang and Cyrus remained agitated until lunchtime: he would not see his boyfriend until then, as they had no common course that day and, as soon as the hour of literature ended, he reached the cafeteria.

He found the blonde sitting alone at a table and reached him without even filling the lunch tray. "Hey," he announced himself. TJ looked up from his plate of mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini that looked nothing like zucchini and smiled. "I know you don't want to scream at the four winds we're together, but the rumor that you're with Buffy goes around."

TJ nodded. "I heard. I've already made a decision, actually."

Cyrus looked at him more confused than ever, his eyebrows frowned, and his mouth sealed. "That is?"

The other smiled, trying to stab a courgette that looked like plastic. "You'll know when the cafeteria fills." Cyrus frowned and watched his boyfriend stand up on the bench as the cafeteria filled up. Those already seated began to stare at him perplexed, while those who were still standing noticed him only when he yelled a 'Can I have your attention?'. Cyrus felt in the spotlight with TJ and blushed, covering his face with his hands and shaking his head. "To everyone here, I would like to point out that yesterday, when I dedicated my first basket in the game, I didn't point at Buffy Driscoll but at Cyrus Goodman here," he said, pointing at him. Everyone began to murmur frantically, but when TJ resumed the word, they all shut up instantly. Cyrus, meanwhile, was dying of embarrassment and barely dared peek at the faces of his peers through his fingers. "So yes, I confirm your suspicions: I'm gay and Cyrus Goodman, I repeat: Cyrus Goodman, is my boyfriend. Thank you for your attention and have a good lunch!"

Cyrus grabbed the blonde from the hoodie, and he sat down with nonchalance. "It was... hilarious!" he laughed. "But also, very embarrassing. How did you come up with it?"

TJ shrugged his shoulders. "I'd heard rumors around, and I didn't want to sound like a coward, so I denied everything." He voraciously bit into a fried potato from his plate. "Oh," he added, between the bites. "I hope you don't mind me outing you."

Cyrus shook his head no. "But now I have to tell my parents, or they will be told by some parent of one of my classmates."

"Oh." TJ looked down on the tray, laying the new chip he was about to bite into. Cyrus hoped he wouldn't let him lose his appetite. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to."

"No," Cyrus smiled, trying to make him feel better. "You don't have to apologize. I would have done it anyway, so I have to thank you for giving me the opportunity."

TJ smiled. "Do you want me to take you home after school?"

Cyrus nodded slowly, smiling back. "You might as well stay for lunch if you want."

Buffy, who was passing by and had heard that last exchange of jokes, intruded into the conversation making Cyrus blush for the second time in ten minutes. "I think you might as well stay at his house for your whole life if you wanted to." TJ chuckled and watched Cyrus cover his face with that look he could reserve only for him. Buffy noticed something different about him, which perhaps not even TJ himself had noticed: Cyrus had just changed him for the better and now they just had to learn to love each other. But with those exchanged glances, Buffy was sure it wouldn't take that long.


	3. Your cure.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparations for the school play have begun. Cyrus is tasked with writing the script, while someone else is tasked with helping him with the soundtrack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this was inspired by a prompt by tjskipping on Tumblr: "tyrus au where both dislike each other but have to look past that when they're assigned to work together on the script and soundtrack for their school's play". Enjoy :D

Cyrus would have never wanted to spend his Friday afternoon like that, not even for all the gold in the world. Despite this, there he was, sat on the improvised stage of the impending school play, with a notebook in one hand and a worn and chewed pencil in the other, sighing and looking for non-existent ideas for the script. In addition, he would've had someone else's help for the soundtracks, and not knowing who his assistant would have been made him nervous. And if he would've been that Reed from his Spanish class? I mean, he could play the drums, so he was a likely candidate. Perhaps it would've been okay, perhaps it would have been Gus his helper, with which he got along very well, or even Marty, Buffy's friend, with which he had talked only once but found cool.

He heard some steps in the room and raised his head, only to be in front of TJ Kippen, the captain of the basketball team and Buffy's mortal enemy no less. Cyrus had never liked him much, and for a good reason: in addition to being a though guy and a bully and to waste his favourite muffins every damn Wednesday, TJ had been found to be a very bad student – he never paid attention – and a very bas classmate too – once TJ threw him a ball of paper like he'd been a basket or, worst, a trash can.

As soon as he saw him, TJ shook his head no too. "Don't tell me we have to work together on the school play."

Just as Cyrus was about to answer, the art professor came in and put his hand on TJ's right shoulder. He was a short, bald little man, with tiny glasses on his nose and really terrible sweaters. "So, guys. I know you know each other because you take some classes together, including mine. Cyrus, I picked you because you have brilliant ideas, and the English teacher assured me you have a way with words. TJ, Reed told me that you can play the piano, even if he was just trying to make fun of you; I think it's great and you're gonna help Cyrus with music and sound effects. A team personally selected by me will take care of the stage design once you're done, so for now it's just the two of you. I leave you alone, I trust you." He stopped talking for a second and looked at them one by one very seriously. "Don't screw up," he said. He slapped TJ on the back and walked out of the empty room.

Cyrus and TJ looked at each other bewildered for a moment, then the blond sighed and sat next to him, even if at least half a metre away. "I don't like you, Goodman, I won't lie," he began by looking into his eyes. "But this school play is important for a person dear to me, so I'm not going to ruin it. Do you understand?"

Cyrus nodded. "The same goes for me," he lied. "Let's get to work."

After a few hours of quiet work, in which Cyrus finally found the plot for the play and began to write the first scene under the supervision of TJ, which had become much closer to him now, the two decided to take a break. They took two or three snacks from the vending machine, and they sat down on the stage, even though it was pretty low.

Cyrus decided to start the conversation. "So Kippen, what do you do in your free time besides playing basketball and targeting people?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I go out with friends."

"Reed and Lester?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw TJ nodding silently. "From what the professor said earlier, it doesn't seem to me that they behave much like friends."

TJ bit his lower lip. "Yeah. You're friends with Buffy Driscoll, right? The basketball team's new shooting guard."

Cyrus nodded vigorously. "And also with Andi Mack and Jonah Beck, I don't know if you know them."

"Jonah and I have known each other since we were little, even if we don't get along very well, while I know Andi because I saw you together at the Spoon and her masterpieces plaster the art room." TJ looked at him for a second, glancing at him in a way that Cyrus had never seen on his face before he returned to turn his full attention to the chips in the bag he was holding.

Cyrus nodded. "Yeah, Andi's pretty good at art. I think the professor asked her to help with the scenography." He hesitated a moment before biting his lip and looking at TJ and averting his gaze before meeting the other's eyes. "I didn't know you could play the piano," he said, just to change the subject.

"My parents are musicians, so they kind of forced me to play an instrument," TJ replied. He snagged his chips and finished the bag, and Cyrus thought the sight of him licking his fingers was disgusting. "How come you write the script?"

Before answering, Cyrus noticed that TJ was not at all what he thought he was: he was serene and answered his questions seriously and without teasing him, oddly. "I would like to write a film, one day, even though I have already read my own writing to Bex, Andi's mom, and it didn't go too well."

"Why?" TJ asked, his eyebrows furrowed, his arms folded quietly and his voice curious but concerned. Was he interested in him?

Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. "I think too much time travel. It was too complicated and there were too many things to remember."

TJ chuckled for the first time since he entered the room and since they knew each other. "A kind of '_Back to the Future_'?"

Cyrus was astonished for a moment that someone like TJ – so selfish and uncultured, would dare say – knew such a nerdy movie. He recovered himself soon after, forcing a smile. "Yes, but much worse."

The other smiled and looked for his gaze. Cyrus lost himself for a moment in his green eyes, too beautiful to be those of a boy like him. "I'd like to read it, if you don't mind."

Cyrus smiled without a thought, even though he wondered what he was doing. Maybe that day wasn't particularly productive for writing the script for the play, or for the composition of the soundtracks, but surely TJ didn't seem so dickhead anymore. "Maybe one day."


	4. It's a date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus asks TJ out as friends, but he misunderstands and thinks of a romantic date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Amber is so amazing, also,, Kippen sibilings, yay! I'd really love their relationship uwu. Plus, TJ is a big flowers nerd and I love him. Let me know if you enjoyed this!

Amber knocked on the bedroom door before pushing it gently and putting her head inside. "Can I come in?" she asked.

TJ nodded. He was in front of the mirror and admired his white shirt over the black jeans. He seemed nervous. "How do I look?" he said, turning to his sister.

She smiled and raised her thumbs. "Who are you going out with?"

TJ bit his lower lip. "With Cyrus," he replied. He smoothed his shirt for the millionth time and put his hands in his pockets, a clear sign of his nervousness.

"Did you ask him out?" asked Amber. She got closer and put her gracious hands on his brother's broad shoulders. He shook his head and repeated only the name of the boy he had a crush on for more than a year. "It'll be fine," she reassured him. He exhaled heavily and smiled at the blonde through the mirror, still visibly agitated. "Do you want me to drive you?" TJ nodded and preceded her to the car, parked from the afternoon of the day before on the road in front of the house, after Amber had finished her shift at the Spoon.

They went up and Amber drove cautiously to the Goodman's house. TJ looked at the watch on his wrist that he put on for the occasion and shook his head. "It's still too early." Amber shrugged her shoulders and watched her little brother move his leg up and down for a while: they were stationary across the street from the villa, and a strong warm light came from one of the first-floor windows – Amber assumed it was Cyrus' room. "Maybe..." TJ began. "Should I get him a bunch of flowers?"

Amber smiled. Although TJ seemed to have asked her the question, she knew that more than her, he was asking himself. She let him dwell for a few moments about what to do. "Do I have to make a turn?" she asked.

Her brother bit his lip and nodded as she got the old black Ford started and headed to the nearest florist. He waited for TJ in the car as he picked flowers for the occasion and drove back to Cyrus' house as soon as his brother got in the car. As soon as they arrived, TJ got out of the automobile and tried to relax his shoulders.

"You look great," she complimented him. He smiled – a forced, very nervous smile – and closed the door. He looked at the road to see if there was anyone passing by at that moment, and when he finally made sure to do so – he hesitated, as if reaching the door of the Goodman's house caused the end of the world – he crossed the asphalt and the walkway covered with stones before ringing the bell of the blue house, not unless he exhaled the last sigh.

TJ watched insecurely at the daffodils and red tulips of his bouquet. He didn't know if Cyrus understood the language of flowers, but at least it was worth a try. He had been ringing the doorbell for a few minutes now but had not yet received any response. He tried again and this time, after a few moments, he heard some quick steps on the stairs. Soon after, the door opened, revealing a Cyrus with a blue shirt and denim jeans tighter than usual. A smile was painted on his face, but he gasped as soon as he noticed the bunch of flowers. He raised an eyebrow, very confused. "TJ?" he asked.

The blonde began to sweat cold: had he done anything wrong? Shouldn't he have brought the flowers? Was Cyrus allergic? "Yes?" he asked, in turn, with a lump in his throat.

"Why do you have flowers in your hand?" Cyrus seemed somewhat puzzled.

TJ opened his mouth when he finally noticed that Cyrus was dressed like every day: it wasn't a date. "They're for your mother, I thought it was a nice thing to do. Is she in the house?"

Cyrus shook his head no, smiling again. "She went out with my stepfather. Anyway, thank you, I think she's going to be very happy. Come in," he added, stepping aside to make room for him. "so that I can put them in a flowerpot with water." He took the bouquet from his friend's hands and walked to the kitchen.

TJ entered insecurely, closing the door behind him. Cyrus' house was full of photographs as usual and he would recognize the scent of lavender that lingered inside among a thousand. He stopped at the entrance, admiring a photo of Cyrus as a child – he must have been between three and five years old. The shot portrayed him building a sandcastle, a Nemo's beach hat pressed on his head and his cheeks red in the afternoon sun. He was so innocent and above all so chubby that TJ would recognize him very little.

Cyrus came back and smiled. "Are we going?" TJ nodded in response. He let the moor speak. "The flowers you have chosen are beautiful. I don't know the language of flowers, but my mother does, so I hope she will like them."

The blonde opened wide his eyes: he imagined Mrs. Goodman seeing the red tulips, a sign of declaration of love, and the daffodils, indicating unrequited love. Luckily the latter could also be a sign of respect, or TJ would be really, really screwed up. He swallowed, though not too soundly to be noted by Cyrus. "I think so."

Cyrus returned home exhausted after the long walk with TJ, spending chatting and laughing together, and the video game room. He had enjoyed it, apart from the moments when TJ had complimented him – like, on his shirt, or how good he was at playing pinball – and Cyrus couldn't help but blush. He had really hoped that the flowers would be for him, but when TJ explained that they were for his mother he felt more relaxed: he still didn't feel ready to reveal his feelings to his friend. What if things got complicated with each other, getting awkward?

TJ had accompanied him to the front door anyway and hugged him, then waved his hand as he walked down the illuminated walkway to the street. He turned around again on the main sidewalk and smiled at him. Cyrus had stood on the doorstep, watching him go away with the last rays of the sun. He then smiled at himself and began to unlock the door, turning around one last time to watch TJ walk away, even though the boy had disappeared from his field of view.

When he entered the house, he found his mother on the couch with a cup of steaming tea in her hands. She lifted her head as soon as she heard him close the door and looked at him with tired eyes. "Hey, honey," she greeted him with a smile. "How did it go with TJ?"

He shrugged his shoulders, holding back an involuntary smile. "Totally normal."

"Very nice to bring you flowers, don't you think?"

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "He told me they were for you. Why did you think they were for me?"

Leslie shrugged her shoulders, then explained the two meanings of the flowers in the bouquet. "I thought he confessed to you his feelings!"

Cyrus blushed violently and shouted a 'Mooom!' in protest. He climbed the stairs and locked himself in his room. He immediately threw himself on the bed, without having the strength to do anything else. He grabbed his phone from his jeans pocket and opened the chat with TJ.

'_Thank you for the bouquet. Both my mother and I loved it!_'

'_****Let's talk about it tomorrow, all right? At the Spoon at six o'clock.****_'

Cyrus smiled. '_So... It's a date?_'

He imagined TJ blushing a little, trying not to be noted by him, as he always did. He received TJ's response shortly after. '**_It's a date._**'


	5. All I want for Christmas.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Christmas, and Cyrus decides to bring his presents to his friends, including TJ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know I should've posted this on Christmas but I simply couldn't wait that long! The Good Hair Crew are amazing together, also Cyrus and Jonah as best friends are the best that I could've wished for. R&R, please ;D

Cyrus felt the first snowflakes fall on his gloves. He held the gift boxes almost unnaturally, as if he was uncomfortable, even if a casual smile was printed on his face. Christmas had arrived and, although in the Jewish tradition no gifts are given, he had decided to make them anyway to his second family.

In the distance he saw the Mack family home: the black roof had begun to fill with small white spots here and there, as if someone had sprayed a little icing sugar on it. When he came under the porch, he lowered the hood of his coat, revealing a black cashmere cap. He knocked on the door, sure to find someone in the house. In fact, Bex opened it soon after.

"Cyrus!" she exclaimed, genuinely surprised. "Come on in. Andi is in her room with Buffy," she added, stepping aside and opening the door slightly more to let him in. She then closed the door, leaving the cold outside.

"Thank you," he said, heading to Andi's room. He knocked on the closed door.

"Mom, I said I don't want chips!" she yelled through the wall.

Cyrus opened the door and her two best friends stood up as they saw him. "Oh-oh-oh!" he exclaimed, lifting his boxes and smiling.

Buffy smiled in turn. "Cyrus! Why are you here?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you'd like to receive gifts for Christmas." He took the first box of the stack and handed it to Buffy, while he put the second in Andi's hands. They looked at each other for a moment before smiling and starting to unwrap.

Andi stopped suddenly and looked up at his friend, who had not unbuttoned his coat but had taken off his hat, scarf and gloves. "Don't... don't you mind if we open them now?"

Cyrus shook his head no just as Buffy said: "Too late." The other two turned to her and realized she was admiring an elegant box. She opened it with a smile on her face. The box revealed white and pink sports shoes, the same colors on the Spikes uniform.

Buffy immediately got up from bed and hugged her friend with momentum. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she exclaimed, leaving a kiss on his cheek. He smiled and reciprocated the embrace. He was really happy that Buffy liked his gift and was looking forward to Andi opening hers, which happened shortly afterwards.

Andi smiled immediately at the sight of a professional art kit, complete with glitter, fabrics and various objects, colors and brushes. "Thank you, Cyrus!" She ran to hug him with the gift still in her hands, risking everything to fall. She placed the kit on the bed and resumed the hug, and after a while Buffy joined them too.

"I love you guys," he said. He stepped back, dissolving the sweet moment. "But now I have to continue my journey to Jonah's house." They nodded in response and escorted him to the door, Andi holding the other gift boxes and Buffy helping Cyrus with scarf, gloves and hat. They waved their hand and Cyrus returned to the freezing road.

He walked to Jonah's house, feeling sweat coming down his back under his Christmas sweater and shirt as he moved, in complete contrast to the frost that was pouring over his face. Arriving in front of the majestic door of the block of flats where his friend's apartment was located, he rang the doorbell of Becks' home.

Jonah's sleepy voice answered the intercom. "Who's that?" he asked.

"I'm Cyrus. I have a surprise for you."

"Cyrus! Go ahead, man." The door opened with a click and a grave sound. Cyrus came in and called the elevator to go up to the fourth floor. He got out of the metal box and found Jonah in his pajamas waiting for him on his doorstep. He smiled earnestly as only Jonah Beck knew how to do and Cyrus for a moment felt that grip on his stomach that had always blocked his breath in those years of infatuation for the boy. By now the crush had passed, but seeing him smile always caused him that tiny feeling of discomfort. "Hey, Cy-guy!"

"Jonah!" Cyrus reciprocated the infectious smile in a moment. "I came to bring you my Christmas spirit."

Jonah looked at him puzzled and bent his head to the side. "So?"

"I made you a present." He handed him the box wrapped with red and gold paper and a golden bow on the top left. Jonah took it smiling.

"Can I open it now?" Cyrus nodded in response. Jonah tore the paper in seconds, revealing a set of four personalized guitar picks: the first was black and featured his initials 'JB' in elegant white calligraphy, the second was completely white and there were the names of Cyrus, Andi and Buffy, signed just from the three of them; the third was all covered with the Space Otters logo. Cyrus urged Jonah to open the box and turn the third pick: on the other side was the other side of Jonah's freesbe team jersey. "It's great awesome!" The fourth, at last, was white. Jonah frowned. "What about this one?" he asked, perplexingly pointing to the last.

Cyrus smiled, glad his friend asked him that question. "It's a simple pick that you can still customize. You can always go and customize it from anywhere in the city saying that I sent you, and you won't have to pay anything, and you can do the same with all the picks you want in your lifetime."

Jonah gasped for a moment, then smiled. "Cy..." He looked up at him and approached to hug him. Cyrus reciprocated the gesture with happiness. "It's the best gift anyone's ever got me. Thank you, man."

He smiled: he had desired for so long to do something special for Jonah Beck, and now that he has done so he felt happier. "You're welcome," he said only.

They hugged for a few more moments, then Jonah took a few steps back. He noticed the last box left in the hands of his best friend and frowned. "And that," he began, pointing to the gift. "Who is it for?"

Cyrus smiled without thinking and looked down at his clinched hands, which held the small box tight. "TJ."

Jonah nodded and smiled. "Well, then I'll let you go and give him that gift. Good luck."

Cyrus nodded and greeted his friend with a hand gesture. "Bye, Jonah." He took back the elevator and, in an instant, found himself on the streets of his city again. The children had started to go out in parks and courtyards to play with the snow that had fallen up to that point and the moor smiled spontaneously at the sight of a beautiful snowman, complete with a scarf, carrot and buttons. He took the phone out of his coat pocket and wrote to TJ to join him at the park. He didn't know where the blonde lived, so he thought of that solution to give him his Christmas present. He felt the phone vibrate between his fingers and looked at the bright screen. TJ had answered with a 'I'll be there in two minutes'. Cyrus smiled spontaneously and put the phone back in his pocket. He picked up the pace to reach the park as quickly as possible. Arriving at the swings, he noticed that the blond had already arrived and was slightly swinging on one of the swings.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, when he was close enough.

TJ raised his green eyes from the whitewashed ground under his black shoes. "Hey," he answered only, hinting at a smile. Then he returned immediately with his eyes to the ground.

Cyrus frowned and took his seat on the other swing next to him, settling the box on his lap and trying to catch TJ's tempo. "Is there something wrong?" he asked. He saw him very sad and thought talking about it was the best of therapy.

"I don't like Christmas, that's all" he said. "Why did you bring me here, anyway?"

Cyrus sighed. "I got you a present. If you prefer not to receive it, I won't-"

TJ stopped him. He looked up at him and really looked him in the eye for the first time since they were there. "Thank you," he said, stretching his arms beyond the chains of the swing to receive the gift.

Cyrus passed it on and watched him gently remove the scotch to open the package. "You know that if you don't tear the paper, it doesn't bring luck, don't you?"

TJ laughed up his sleeve, continuing to carefully unwrap the gift. "You wrapped it?" he asked.

Cyrus said yes and shrugged his shoulders. "Even if it didn't come very well," he added.

The friend shook his head and looked at him for a few moments as he said: "No, I'm glad you did."

Cyrus smiled. "Really?"

"Really." TJ pulled out the little black box. He looked at it with his furrowed brow, not understanding what it contained.

Cyrus, noticing his expression, stopped his swing. "Open it," he said.

He looked at him curiously but opened the box. Inside, there was only a piece of paper written on it, in a messy and quite cursive calligraphy, an address just outside Shadyside. TJ looked at him even more puzzledly. "What is this?"

Cyrus smiled. He knew TJ wouldn't understand, so I presented him with his present. "I had a debt and I repaid it."

"I don't know if I'm stupid, but I still don't understand."

The moor chuckled. "The address written there – sorry for the handwriting, I write quite badly – is that of a pastry shop. My stepmother knows the pastry chef, so I asked him for a favor."

"That is?" asked TJ, still not understanding.

"I asked him to invent a muffin."

The other checked him out. "The Blueberry Macademia," he whispered.

Cyrus nodded. "New Blueberry Macademia Muffin. Nickname: TJ Kippen Muffin; ingredients: whole wheat flour, blackberries, blueberries and vanilla blue dye."

TJ began to smile. "They're my favorite tastes."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I've had them suggested by Amber."

TJ got up and approached his swing. "Thank you."

Cyrus smiled. "I owed you that." He stood up to face his friend, though he was decidedly taller.

"You could have thought about it earlier," TJ laughed.

Cyrus looked up and noticed something attached to the swings rod. "What is that?" he asked then, pointing to the mysterious object.

TJ raised his head to see what the moor was pointing to, then went back to look at him. When Cyrus looked down, TJ spoke. "It's my Christmas present for you."

Cyrus chuckled. "And why is it attached up there? Did you want to make me feel short?"

The other shook his head. Their eyes fit perfectly. There were no too much words, no useless gestures. The park was deserted. "It's a sprig of mistletoe."

Cyrus felt a dip in his heart and a knot in his stomach. TJ approached slowly, resting his hands on his shoulders. Time stopped, and with it the snowflakes that were falling at that moment. It was just them, it was their time. Cyrus approached and watched TJ's face do the same. Suddenly, their lips touched, and the snow began to fall again, and the seconds to pass, and Cyrus closed his eyes, imitating TJ. His lips knew of snow: they were cold, but at the same time they transmitted that unique warmth that filled Cyrus' chest at the time. He pulled TJ closer, and felt the other's hands on his shoulders, and then he felt them to come down to his hips. When their lips parted, Cyrus felt the cold winter air on his face. He was still close to TJ, who held his hands tightly on his hips.

"So, we…" Cyrus began. He didn't really know what to say and for the first time in his life he felt as if the cat had eaten his tongue.

"Yes," TJ replied. He smiled, relaxing his shoulders and taking his hand.

Cyrus nodded and smiled in turn. He squeezed TJ's hand and started down towards his house with him.


	6. Iron Maiden.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ hates the Good Hair Crew, that is very popular at school. But he doesn't know that he's going to like Cyrus Goodman, one of his enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so, I new one-shot inspired by 'Teenage dirtbag' by Wheatus! Also, prom night! Enjoy ;)

TJ never thought the devil wouldn't dress Prada. Especially after being forced by Amber to see that movie. Yet neither Andi Mack, Buffy Driscoll, nor Cyrus Goodman wore designer clothes, excluding the Mint Chip's ones. All the boys and girls at the school would never dare be on their way as they headed to the locker rooms, or in the classroom, but not because they were afraid, rather because they were revered as gods. Instead, TJ thought only that they were rude and too touchy to admit the truth – that they, after all, were like all other teenagers, selfish and in need of attention. That's why TJ had no problem standing in front of them as they walked, and he had no problem getting in right before one of them in class, because none of those three made his knees tremble.

Marty, on the other hand, behaved like everyone else in their year, even though he only had eyes for Driscoll, what he called 'his soul mate'. He had a crush on her since he met her at the first party at Andi Mack's house, and from there he hadn't taken her out of his head.

Jonah always tried to be nice to them, even though he was with everyone. TJ, however, had noticed, observing him when the Good Hair Crew – this is how Buffy, Andi, and Cyrus called themselves – passed by them, that the friend followed with the gaze always and only Andi. TJ knew full well that Jonah didn't have a chance, because Andi and Amber had been dating for a while, but he didn't want to shut the little dreamer's wings.

It was a Tuesday in the cafeteria that TJ realized he had done it all wrong. He was quietly seated at a table with his two best friends when Marty saw in the distance the three gods approaching. Every time they walked with their heads held high, time seemed to slow down and it was as if everything was going in slow motion. Marty fidgeted on the bench as he warned TJ and Jonah of the three's impending arrival at their table.

When TJ heard a fake cough right behind him, he turned annoyed. The Good Hair Crew stood behind him and watched him full of disapproval.

Marty was becoming visibly nervous. "Hello," he greeted in a whisper. Andi gave him a quick look before returning her gaze to TJ.

"Kippen," Buffy began. The curls adorned her face to perfection and she seemed to have no out-of-place hair; her eyes were burning as if they had been lit up by some kind of fiery arrow. "You have to stop."

TJ sighed, frowning. "To do what?"

"Don't be a dummy, we don't believe you," Andi continued. "You have to stop not respecting us."

He chuckled and turned a second towards Marty, who said no to him with his head. He returned to study the guys in front of him with a puzzled look. "I'm sorry I don't do your comforts, but I would like to live my life in peace."

Before Buffy could retort, Cyrus interrupted her. "Come on, girls," he said, putting his hand on her friend's shoulder. "Let's leave him alone. In the end, he's right." He smoothed his Mint Chip's blue shirt while all who were present looked at him puzzled.

"Sorry, how?! I thought we all agreed to kick this idiot's ass!" protested Andi, pointing to TJ, who heard everyone in the cafeteria's eyes on him – because yes, when it came to the Good Hair Crew everyone was looking in their direction.

Cyrus put his hands forward and raised his eyebrows. "You two agreed," he said, gesturing between the two. "and then you got me involved." Buffy and Andi looked at each other in amazement and turned to heels, leaving Cyrus there at that moment. The boy sighed and then turned to TJ, still shocked by the scene that had presented itself before his eyes. "Sorry, they just wanted to..." Cyrus didn't find the right excuse and made him understand with a sign of his hand that he had to let go. "Are you all right?" he asked.

TJ nodded. "I always thought they were bitches, but they're... they're terrible."

Cyrus chuckled and sat down with ease, right in front of Jonah. "You probably already know me, am I wrong?"

The three nodded in response, and Marty raised an eyebrow. He had finally recovered from the initial shock at seeing a member of the Good Hair Crew sit at their table. "And you probably don't know who we are, am I wrong?"

He shook his head with a smile. TJ first noticed that, well, he wasn't bad as a guy. "You're Marty, aren't you? We do computer science together. I'm sorry, I don't remember your last name."

The other belittled him with a hand gesture. "Marty's fine," he said, smiling.

"And then," Cyrus continued, moving his index finger to the right to point the boy in front of him. "You are Jonah Beck, the frisbee boy." He nodded, really pleased that someone remembered him for one of his passions. "And you're TJ Kippen, the captain of the basketball team," he finished, pointing to the blond next to him. Cyrus seemed to have almost an iron memory, and in fact, TJ remembered the lessons he spent with the moor, in which he could almost memorize an entire chapter of the biology book. "I've always wondered what your real name was, though."

Jonah shrugged his shoulders. "He doesn't want to tell us either."

"And we've known each other since we were three years old," Marty added, leaning slightly over the table as if it were a secret.

TJ responded with the most serious tone in the world, even if his cheeks were slightly purple. "I'm not telling you because it's too embarrassing."

"How embarrassing was it that you can play the piano?" asked Jonah, his tone of voice sarcastic and raised eyebrows.

"You can play the piano?" asked Cyrus, startled. He settled better on the bench and TJ nodded just as the bell rang the end of the lunch break. "Well, see you after school? At the Spoon?" he proposed, continuing to send furtive glances at TJ, who noticed and pretended nothing. Marty nodded with a smile on his face and everyone got up to head out.

Marty and TJ greeted Jonah, who had chemistry class, while the two of them had math. "I think Cyrus is slightly interested in you, you know?" said Marty, putting the literature book into his backpack for the next hour. TJ remembered when he had begged Principal Metcalf to change his locker to put him next to his best friend's, and he, tired of hearing complaints, had allowed him to exchange with Gus, who was much more comfortable with his old locker for his moving.

"Nah, I think he was just trying to be cute after Driscoll and Mack's outburst." And anyway, TJ wasn't interested in him. All those years the Good Hair Crew had thrown shit at him and wouldn't have forgiven them easily. But now that he thought about it, Cyrus seemed really sorry for everything that had happened, and those eyes, God, were the most beautiful TJ had ever seen.

Marty shook his head amusedly. "You said that of Kira last year, and yet she was interested in you."

"But I wasn't interested in her."

"Ah, " Marty seemed surprised by those words. "So, you like Cyrus."

TJ blushed more than he should've and tried to hide it by looking back at the locker and starting to close it. "I didn't say that."

"As you wish," he laughed, slamming the door of his and beginning to walk toward the classroom. TJ shook his head, giving up on making him think, and followed him trying not to lose sight of him.

Jonah placed his hand on his shoulder as they left. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "How did biology go? Goodman was there, too, wasn't he?"

TJ nodded. "He sat next to me."

"Sorry, who sat next to you when?" asked Marty, rushing to them. He had his gym bag in his hands and his face all red and sweaty: TJ imagined that he had made a new time. He took advantage of it to change his mind.

"Did you break your record?"

Marty nodded in reply. "I made 11.5 for the first time. But answer my question."

The other snorted before blushing a little, hoping that the friends would take the blush on his cheeks like an effect of the cold that froze the streets. "Cyrus, in biology time."

Jonah raised his eyebrows at Marty. "Now he calls him by name, heard?" Marty nodded and glanced unrestrainedly at TJ, who ignored his friends' jabs altogether.

"Guys, stop it. We haven't even talked that much."

"However, have you already decided who you're going to see the Iron Maiden concert with if and when you're going to buy the tickets?" asked Jonah. TJ knew full well that both of his friends would want to go with him, but his mother had allowed him and Amber to bring only two other people – of course Amber would invite Andi – but he still hadn't decided. Marty was definitely his best friend, but Jonah went crazy for Iron Maiden, so the choice was really hard.

"I don't know, guys. Can't one of you pay for your own ticket?"

Jonah put his hands forward. "Don't look at me: you know what my family is in."

The other two nodded, perfectly remembering that Jonah's father had been fired and now they were going to the broken bank. Marty then shook his head to answer the question. "I had to spend all my savings on my sister's birthday," she explained. Marty's little sister, Michelle, had been born two years earlier and he really loved her very much, even more than he loved TJ – and it was all about.

TJ passed his hand through his blond hair and exhaled heavily. "I will try to make a decision, but I promise nothing. It may well be that the savings will not be enough for me,"' he joked. The other two took a little fun look at him and remained silent until the destination, the Spoon. "Do we really have to?"

Marty seemed astonished. "TJ, Cyrus Goodman wants to meet us at the Spoon! We've made an incredible upgrade!"

"A fall from grace," Jonah added, pushing the diner's door and tinging the golden bell over their heads.

TJ barely remembered the last time he was there. His father had insisted on spending a final day with him and Amber before he left and had bought them strawberry milkshakes. Then he had taken them home without a word and put ten dollars apiece in their hands. Then he left to never come back. In conclusion, TJ didn't have a good memory of the Spoon while Amber was working on it – that's how she met Andi. However, the setting was not bad: the orange and blue leather sofas stood out between the white tables, and the counter was crowded with people waiting for their takeaway. Cyrus was sitting at a rectangular table in the middle of the room and had already ordered a milkshake, though he was sending continuous glances to the kitchen, perhaps waiting for something else.

A blond man TJ found familiar approached him and placed his hand on his shoulder, sitting next to him. Cyrus's face lit up with a slightly too forced smile at the sight of his supposed friend, but his eyes glistened as he saw the three approaching the table.

"Hey, guys!" he exclaimed, as they took their seats on the free chairs. "You already know Reed."

The blonde to his right smiled at TJ, who was sitting at the head of the table, right to Cyrus' left. "Do we know each other?"

TJ dug through his memories to find the blond and, after squared him up well, said, "I think so. Do you often ride a motorbike with Lester to the construction site?"

Reed nodded and suddenly seemed to remember him. "You are TJ! Man, you've got a great bike. How much did it cost you?"

"My father bought it for my birthday, but I think a few tens of thousands of dollars."

An awkward silence descended on the group that TJ could have cut with a knife. Luckily, Amber, in her blue maid uniform, arrived with a basket full of baby taters. "Hey, Cyrus! Andi and Buffy?" he asked, looking around.

Cyrus bit his lip and TJ couldn't help but think he was really cute when he was agitated. "They don't come today," he said, better settling in the chair. "Let's say I've found someone else I can't share my baby taters with today," he chuckled.

Amber smiled amusedly and noticed TJ, who looked at her with an almost guilty look. "TJ, I hadn't seen you," she said, her tone calm and her eyes studying him. "Hello, Marty. Jonah," she added and glanced warily at Reed before returning behind the counter.

Cyrus had an unequivocally puzzled look. "Do you know each other?" he asked, sliding his eyes from TJ to Marty, to Jonah, and then to look again at the blond to his left.

Marty nodded, speaking before TJ could. "Amber and TJ are brothers, and Jonah was her boyfriend a few years ago."

Reed fidgeted in his chair before he began to speak. "That reminds me…" he began, looking at Cyrus.

"Oh, it's true. It completely crossed my mind and I don't even know why. I've been getting a lot of distracted lately and-"

"Cyrus, you're rambling," Reed said.

Cyrus took a breath before smiling. "It's true, sorry. Reed and I are together."

The news was met with an unwelcoming silence. Although TJ tried to deny it to himself, the last sentence caused him an ache in the chest and to lose a beat. Reed was probably the right one and he had to be happy for them. But what did Reed have more than him? They were both blond, tall, beautiful, athletic, they both had a bike. The only differences were two: the first was that Reed was rude and was said to have once brought a gun to school; the second was that Cyrus most likely knew Reed longer ago. TJ wondered what would have happened between him and Cyrus if they had known each other before.

"Good luck with Andi," he said, dissolving the embrace in which her sister had hugged him.

"Good luck with yourself," she joked but reserved a sad smile for him.

"It's a very sad thing to be wished," he replied, greeting Amber with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. He saw her walking away smoothing out the pink and white dress she bought with two-year savings just that night. Happy teenagers came in and out of the school gym. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder and found himself in front of Jonah.

"Hey," he said. He had the usual smile printed on his face, and his hair was combed neatly with the familiar tuft. The suit bandaged his athletic and lean body as if it had been sewn to measure for him. "Amber's gone in already?"

TJ nodded gravely. "You asked Natalie to accompany you, didn't you?"

Jonah widened his smile – as if it were possible to do so. "Yes. She's waiting for me," he added, pointing to the noisy gym with a nod. "I still don't know how Driscoll agreed to go with Marty."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I only know that they went out sometimes and strangely she accepted with a smile."

"Marty was so confident when he asked her," Jonah said. "Hopefully everything will be okay. Anyway, they're already here. Are you waiting for someone?"

TJ held his breath: he wanted to say yes, but the truth was that he knew Cyrus would go with Reed, and he didn't even have the guts to name the prom next to Cyrus. Yet he would have liked to enter with him under his arm, take him for a drink, dance with him under the hot lights of the spotlight. "No," he said, seeming almost exasperated by that reality. He passed his hand through his hair free of the gel at least for that evening, sighed and then wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders, as he made his way to the entrance. When they were inside, Jonah smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder before reaching Natalie, on the track, waiting for her knight. TJ spotted Marty and Buffy dancing in the middle of the track – they were probably competing in a bloody last-breath race – and Amber and Andi laughing near the drinks table.

He examined the gym in search of his lean and defenseless figure, his bright eyes as the stars, his genuine way of laughing. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to find himself facing an amused Cyrus.

"Were you looking for someone?"

TJ hesitated. "Yes, actually." He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I was looking for you."

Cyrus bit his lip, trying to fend off a smile that still appeared on his lips. "I was looking for you too."

A knot in the stomach, a lost beat, a breath held back. All sensations that had almost become familiar when Cyrus was close to him. "Why?"

Cyrus' gentle gaze met his green eyes, and in an instant TJ felt as if he was carried away by a current of an invisible sea towards the horizon, unable to do anything to counter it. "I dumped Reed," Cyrus replied as if it were nothing, looking around casually and shrugging his shoulders.

TJ tried not to point out his red cheeks and hoped that Cyrus, in the darkness, couldn't see him well. "Why?"

"I found out he doesn't like Iron Maiden! Can you be so ungrateful to the world?" joked Cyrus and TJ chuckled, knowing that there was most likely something else underneath. "Also, there's a more serious reason: he stole his father's gun to 'have fun', as he said. I don't want to deal with someone who 'plays' with a gun."

TJ nodded, swallowing soundly. He didn't know what else to say, so he tried to bring in the only thing he found out they had in common. "So... you like Iron Maiden, huh?"

Cyrus smiled and nodded. Then he seemed to remember one thing. "Oh, you know there's going to be that concert an hour's drive from here?"

TJ nodded in response. "I've already got the tickets, really."

Cyrus seemed slightly disappointed. "Oh," he said. He lowered his eyes to the polished floor of the gym and raised it after sighing. "Actually... I wanted to ask you to come with me."

TJ looked up in a second. "Yes, that's fine!" He cleared his voice to calm himself down and Cyrus chuckled at that reaction. "I wanted to say that... I can give my tickets to Jonah and Marty, who wanted to come, and I could come with you."

Cyrus smiled and TJ's heart made a somersault for happiness. "Of course." They smiled mutually for a few moments, admiring each other. "Do you want to dance?" he asked, as Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' started by filling the dance floor.

"Why not," TJ replied, shrugging his shoulders. He offered an arm to Cyrus, who clung to him affectionately. TJ smiled, and he thought that sometimes dreams really come true.


	7. Damn math.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ asks Cyrus to help him with math, but they end up doing something completely different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wrote this a while ago and I know it's nothing special but Tyrus fluff's moments own my life. R&R, please.

"So, you're going to help me?" he asked, just for confirmation.

Cyrus chuckled and passed his hand through his hair, trying to settle his dark tuft. "Yes, of course. Do we meet tomorrow in the library just after school?"

TJ raised an eyebrow. "Library?"

"Yes, it is that room full of books and tables where you go to study in holy peace."

The blond laughed, slightly bumping their shoulders, but still making the moor a little unbalanced. "I know what a library is, Underdog."

The other laughed, and TJ noticed that when Cyrus smiled, his eyes were shining. "I just wanted to make sure." TJ smiled in response. "Then... library?" asked Cyrus again.

"I was thinking more about my house, actually."

The moor carried his right hand to his chest and made a surprised face. "Do I have this honor?"

TJ nodded and put his arm around his shoulders, clutching it for a moment before letting him go. "Later, Underdog," he said, before rushing to the literary class.

The next day, having the last period off, TJ waited for Cyrus out of the English class to return home with him. When he saw his best friend leave the classroom at the ring of the bell, TJ flanked him with a smile that was typical of him when Cyrus was nearby. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

Cyrus smiled, noticing him. "Hey," he replied immediately. "Ready for the extra lesson?" TJ nodded not convinced. "One question: why didn't you ask Buffy to help you? I mean, she's your tutor, isn't she?"

TJ bit his lower lip. "She's busy with... other things," he lied. Would he ever have the courage to tell Cyrus the truth? He just wanted to spend more time with him - was that so wrong? "Plus, you have a lot more patience."

Cyrus chuckled and nodded. "That's definitely true." They walked out of the school between the chatter of the students around them and reached TJ’s home, who lived right nearby, in an instant. The blonde noticed Cyrus' curiosity and perplexity when, upon entering the apartment, he noticed photos of the Kippen siblings as children or photos of TJ as a child on a stage with a certificate in his hand.

Cyrus pointed to the photo taken in memory of his first concert. "How old were you here?" he asked, curiously.

"Five" TJ remembered that day as if only two had passed. He was so nervous about performing in public for the first time that he had reviewed the score at least a thousand times. When it was his turn to go on stage, his master had encouraged him by giving him light buffets on his shoulder. TJ, who was just under six feet tall, had looked down on his mentor from below: his eyes on the stage, his beard curly, his skin dark. He had calmed down at that sight, sighed, and came out into the spotlight more confident than he had ever been, waiting for the initial applause to go out. He then began to play the first notes of the song he had learned for the recital. He had missed a few notes, of course, but what was most important was that he had never stopped and that he had made his parents, his sister, and his teacher proud. In the photo, he smiled boldly, but it was only because he felt extremely happy with his progress.

"So, you play an instrument?" asked Cyrus, raising an eyebrow – TJ was envious of that ability, because he either raised both eyebrows or none - and crossing his arms, almost demanding explanations.

TJ nodded. If spending more time with Cyrus meant revealing his darker secrets, he would even reveal his real name. "The piano. I have a piano in my room if you want to know."

Cyrus was astonished by the information. "Oh," he said only. Then he smiled sincerely. "I didn't expect you to answer me for real. You wouldn't have done it a few months ago."

The homeowner shrugged his shoulders: Cyrus had that effect on him, even though he didn't know. "Do you think I'm a better person?" he asked, looking at the photo. He felt the moor's gaze on him, and when he did not feel it anymore, he turned in his direction. Cyrus was intent on studying the other photos on the wall and TJ couldn’t deny that with that look captured by a story not his without words Cyrus was really very nice.

His friend turned to look at him before TJ could look away; he felt himself blush, caught red-handed. "I think so."

They looked at each other for a few moments and TJ didn't move a muscle. He didn't even smile so as not to ruin the moment. The outside noises seemed like they disappeared, while TJ could hear the wheels in his mind spinning madly like a hamster in a wheel.

Cyrus opened his mouth to talk and came out with a "Shall we start studying?" very nervous. TJ bit his lower lip and nodded bitterly. He made way to the moor to his room through the kitchen and corridor and watched Cyrus react to the sight of his room. The walls were aquamarine, and the white furniture popped from the walls like starfish among colored shells – at the sight of the small bookcase, Cyrus looked up and approached to see what books his friend had read. A full-length mirror was even hung on one wall near the floor.

"Why don't you share your room with Amber?" he asked, still looking around.

TJ shrugged his shoulders for a moment. "I wouldn't stand my sister rummaging through my drawers too: isn't it enough that she cares too much about my private life?"

Cyrus turned to look at him, diverting attention from the cushions of various shapes that covered the top of the bed of a square and a half. He smiled before saying that Amber's interest in him seemed cute. "She must love you very much."

TJ smiled and nodded. "You are an only child, aren't you?"

"For now," Cyrus replied in a slightly bitter tone. "My father and stepmother are trying to have another child, but still not..." Cyrus blushed a little. "In short, they haven't made it yet."

TJ felt his cheeks coloring regardless of his will. "I understand," he replied. He looked a little around, uneasy in his own room. He cleared his voice. "Umm... How about we start studying? If not, it's too late, I think." He pointed to the bed to make Cyrus sit down and sat after him on the other side.

The other hinted at a somewhat forced smile. "Don’t you mind if I… umm-” began him, pointing to his shoes and the blanket beneath them.

TJ shook his head slowly, preventing Cyrus from finishing an awkward question. He watched Cyrus sit cross-legged and settle down well in front of him. "Then," the blond began. "What do we start with?"

Time passed fast between equations, jokes, and mischief, between smiles and touches of hand. It was when they decided to take a break and they lay down next to each other that TJ finally realized the famous butterflies in his stomach. Cyrus was talking about how idiotic Jonah was sometimes, telling him funny anecdotes and silly jokes that the two had exchanged over the years. TJ watched him gesticulate a little and noticed his eyes glistening in the light of the last rays of sunshine. He wanted to print that moment in his mind, because Cyrus was beautiful even when he was talking about futile things, like Andi's passion for belts or the time Buffy accidentally dyed her hair pink, but also while eating voraciously a muffin, or when he pulled out his tongue in a very nice way, making it pop just from his lips, when he was focused on solving a difficult problem with equations – those moments had been TJ's biggest distraction that afternoon, not counting Cyrus's smile, his rebellious tufts that eluded the power of the gel, his way of biting pencils to the mine, and everything about him. TJ smiled as he continued to look at Cyrus, paying no attention to the boy's words.

Cyrus noticed his distraction and turned to look at him, dropping his gaze on the blonde's lips next to him for a moment. "What is it?" he asked, looking into his eyes.

TJ shook his head, smiling. "Nothing." He felt the irrepressible urge to take Cyrus's pretty hand into his, weaving their fingers and stay that way forever. Then he approached his hand slowly and Cyrus noticed him because he smiled and approached. When their hands met, they weaved their fingers into a single masterpiece. TJ smiled, and Cyrus did the same. He felt a knot in his stomach, but at the same time, the nerves of his shoulders relax. A quiet silence fell between them, who kept looking at each other.

TJ dropped his gaze on the other's fleshy lips and felt his breathing get faster, his heartbeat louder, his nerves stiffen again. Fortunately, he left his eyes there a little more than he should, and Cyrus got closer. He put his hand close to his left shoulder and in a moment was on top of him, still holding his hands together. TJ felt his heartbeat accelerate, so much so that he thought his heart would explode soon. With his lips parted little, he waited for Cyrus to slowly approach. Suddenly, TJ had a flash of genius: he hugged Cyrus without getting too close to him and swapped roles, gently resting Cyrus on top of the pillow that was previously to his right. He settled in the same position as Cyrus moments earlier and winked. He approached calmly while the moor still smiled. TJ was tired of waiting: he and Cyrus had been friends for two years now, and the boy had liked him right away, with his big, deep eyes and his irony and smile. When he found himself inches from the boy's face, he smiled for a moment, thinking back to all the times he had wanted to kiss him – and finally, his dream was coming true! – and in one shot he captured his lips in a passionate kiss, taking him by surprise. Cyrus responded to the kiss in a heartbeat, putting his hands in his blonde hair, and TJ felt a thrill of comfort walking his back for a second.

Both enjoyed that moment, as well as the other’s lips, and, in the end, math was no longer the subject of their attention. Damn, damn math.


	8. The bowling alley.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ, Cyrus, Buffy and Marty go out on a double date at the bowling alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this one-shot was inspired by a fanart by punzellies on Tumblr. Enjoy! :D

Cyrus knew little or nothing about bowling. Buffy taught him everything he had learned, and Buffy didn't have much patience when it came to sports. Despite this, and despite his lack of athleticism, he had immediately nodded to the proposal of his _boyfriend_ – TJ was his _boyfriend_, he still couldn't believe it – to go and spend an afternoon at the bowling of Shadyside. Marty and Buffy would make them some company, according to the blonde, and Cyrus immediately breathed out a silent sigh of relief at that reassuring news. Not that he didn't want to go out alone with TJ, but he still didn't get used to the idea of, well, dating someone. In a romantic sense.

He closed the car door behind him, with his mother's recommendations still ringing through his head, and squeezed into his coat. Winter air had also added a stop in the Midwest on its way across America, and coats and scarves had suddenly been found by all the city's closets. The bowling banner was at the top of the brick building, probably a bit old-fashioned, in contrast to the white sky that promised snow already in November. The entrance, on the other hand, was more welcoming, and from the inside came voices and notes of old-fashioned songs, which invited anyone who passed by, even by chance.

Cyrus felt the car start again behind him and gave it one last look before inhaling the stinging air around him. He shrugged his shoulders and, trying to look determined, took a few steps toward the door. Before getting too close, he examined the glass for a specific label, and when he found the inscription "Push", he entered the room without making a fool of himself. He took off his scarf and coat, and put them under his arm, the only company besides the warmth and chatter around him. He slipped his faithful phone out of his jeans pocket and clicked on the display to open the chat called "Idiots to the rescue." He informed the others of his arrival and received an immediate response from TJ.

**Thelonius 3:** I'm coming

Cyrus smiled, and ordered a hot tea at the bar counter. He knew that when TJ said he was coming, he was actually late, so he could take it very comfortably. The phone vibrated on the counter near the steaming cup, and Cyrus took it with uncertain fingers.

**Queen 33:** I'm here, I'm coming in now

**Mr. the party:** I'm at TJ's house, we haven't left yet

The phone almost fell out of his hands when someone faked a cough behind him, and he turned around, imagining who it was. Buffy had her coat already open, and the woolen cap placed on her hair gathered in a messy chignon. She wore simple black leggings that he had never seen on her, and a red hoodie with two white bands wrapping around her waist – a Christmas present from her mother.

"Hey, Cyrus!" she said, a smile printed on her face and her hands in the pockets of the heavy vest.

"Buffy! Finally, you're here, I was beginning to think you'd left me alone."

She looked up at the sky, though a smile still lit up her face. "You know I would never leave you alone, and especially not with TJ and Marty," she replied, chuckling a little before continuing. "Those two are capable of doing anything when they are together."

Cyrus chuckled with her, thinking back to marshmallows and karaoke night, in which, not very strangely, Jonah was also involved. "Do we want to take the shoes, in the meantime? TJ and Marty will definitely not arrive until ten minutes."

Buffy nodded amusedly and waited for him as he finished the hot tea, which, by the way, burned his whole palate. "Yesterday Andi called me."

Cyrus' eyes lit up with hope as they walked to the bowling alley stand. "What did she say?"

"At the academy they started a project in groups, and she's with some of her classmates and, guess who?" She paused for a few seconds, and Cyrus didn't realize he was holding his breath until he felt the air run out. "Walker" ended Buffy theatrically, her hands still in her pockets, her smile gone now.

"Oh." Cyrus didn't really know what else to say. Walker had been a tough nut to crack after the abrupt way he and Buffy broke up, but in the end, it was ancient history, and now he and Andi seemed to get along again.

Fortunately, the awkward silence between them was broken by two familiar voices calling them a little apart. Cyrus turned with a pulled smile – the tension Walker's name had left behind was still perceptible – toward the two boys who were reaching them almost in a hurry. Buffy also hinted at a forced smile, and Cyrus was hopeful that they could both forget that moment as soon as possible and enjoy the afternoon.

TJ immediately seemed to realize that something was wrong, because his smile weakened when he was close. "Hey, guys. Is everything okay?"

Cyrus nodded, this time smiling more earnestly. TJ was really cute when he was worried. "Yes, don't worry. Just a few…" Cyrus twisted his hands as he could only when he couldn't find the right words. "News, that's all."

Buffy nodded and at that gesture TJ seemed to calm down visibly. Marty smiled instead, and approached his girlfriend by putting his arm around her shoulders. "Ready to be destroyed?" he asked, his tone cheerful and challenging.

She raised her eyebrows and answered with an amused smile. "Perhaps you meant to ask me if _I_ am ready to destroy _you_."

Marty chuckled and, pointing to the shoe stand, said, "I bet I'll get there before you."

"You're playing with fire, Marty of the party," she replied, and both, at a glance of defiance, ran full speed, regardless of the crowd and the disapproving glances reserved only for them.

Cyrus shook his head. He knew very well that he couldn't do anything to stop them. TJ suddenly took his hand, and Cyrus looked up at him, somewhat surprised: until then, TJ had said to wait for the effusions in public, and Cyrus just couldn't figure out what had changed. A calm and relaxed smile appeared on his face as the squeeze on his hand became stronger and stronger, almost desperate.

"Are you sure?" he asked. It was very okay for him to hold hands, and nothing more, also because they had not gone beyond the intertwined fingers, hugs and cuddles lying on the bed in the sultry afternoons of summer. And for both of them it was perfect so, despite Cyrus sometimes really wanted to take the next step, feel that warmth on his face, know what his lips knew.

TJ nodded and smiled, ruffling his hair with his free hand and making his way to the counter. They took two pairs of shoes, similar in all but size, and, once they found their friends, they sat at their same station. They laid down their coats and prepared for the game.

Buffy and Marty were already standing by the bowling balls, and they were trying them out to see which one was best suited. "I think this is for you," she said at one point, lifting a fairly small, all-pink ball.

Marty laughed and presented an even smaller ball to her. "At this point I think this is for you."

Buffy chuckled and punched him in the arm. He complained of pain with a smile on his lips, and eventually they found suitable balls. Cyrus watched amusedly as Marty made a spare, while Buffy, on the contrary, started her game with a strike.

TJ pretended to be surprised and offered Cyrus a hand to help him get up. He smiled sincerely at him and, holding hands again, they reached out to their friends, who were now punching each other like two kindergarten children.

Cyrus examined the available balls and lifted them over his head. TJ chuckled behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked, amused and puzzled.

Buffy seemed to notice them for the first time since Marty arrived and shrugged her shoulders with her eyes to the sky. "He insists that the suitable bowling ball must be as heavy as a tenth of your body, so he tries them out."

"I don't 'insist'. It's just a thing I found on Wiki How."

TJ smiled softly and approached him. The presence of his hand on one of his shoulders made him stop suddenly, and his boyfriend gently took the ball from his hands. "Do you want me to teach you?"

Buffy and Marty exchanged a familiar look while Cyrus nodded in response. He followed TJ, standing near the track, and let him settle behind his shoulders, his arms completely surrounding him. Cyrus then found himself with the ball in front of his eyes, still held by TJ, and his boyfriend's warm breath on his neck. He blushed suddenly, realizing that _his boyfriend_ was hugging him _in public_ to show him how to bowl well.

"Alright," TJ began, his voice only a whisper in his ear. "You have to aim at the center pin and try not to rotate your arm too much. It must be more of a wrist job." Cyrus glanced at him perplexedly. "It's like playing the piano," he added.

Buffy chuckled behind them, while Marty was unbalanced, probably hit by a friendly punch from the girl. Cyrus wondered what they were laughing at, but tried not to think about it too much and focus instead on the upcoming launch. He put his trembling fingers into the ball and put the other hand on the opposite side to hold it before the throw.

He gave a last hesitant glance at TJ, who gave him an encouraging smile. Buffy had her thumbs up, and Marty seemed too interested in Buffy's smile to pay attention to him. Cyrus hinted at a smile and exhaled for a long time in the direction of the well-lit lane. He took a few steps back, prepared for the throw and closed his eyes as he released the ball. When he heard his friends cheer, he opened his eyes slowly and noticed that-

"I got a strike!" he screamed. "I got a strike!" With a smile and warmth in his chest, he ran to TJ, who instinctively hugged him. Buffy placed a hand on his shoulder, a proud look and an all-too-sincere smile. Cyrus hugged her too, and then Marty too. He was really very happy with the result, although it was probably just the beginner's luck.

Then it was TJ's turn, who made a meager spare. "We made a kind of Turkey sandwich!" he exclaimed, his eyebrows raised and his eyes amused.

"You know that Turkey sandwich consists in _three_ strikes between two spares, don't you?" pointed out Buffy.

TJ shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not good at math," he said, as if it were a valid excuse.

Marty chuckled. "By the way, do we want to get something to eat?"

An hour later, the four met at the Spoon with Andi, Amber and Jonah, who had been there for quite a while. The rest of the afternoon passed quietly, and Andi told them a lot of anecdotes about her time at the academy and the projects made and planned, fortunately never naming Walker.

When Cyrus finally said it was time for him to go home, TJ offered to walk him. They greeted all their friends, still seated at the table with their milkshakes in their hands, and left the diner. Outside, the sky had already begun to fade from orange pink to violet, and by the time the two came to Cyrus's house to blue.

With the streetlamp lighting them up, the two suddenly stopped and turned to make eye contact. "Thank you for today. It was really nice," Cyrus began, before TJ could say anything else.

The other's shoulders relaxed, and a sweet smile appeared on his face. "It's nothing, Cy. Can I talk to you tomorrow?"

Cyrus nodded with a sincere smile and stood up on his tips to leave a slight kiss on the boy's cheek. TJ continued to smile at him as he walked down the driveway of the villa and opened the front door and greeted him from afar with his hand before backtracking to his home.

Cyrus closed the door behind him and leaned against it, with his heart still beating very loud. He smiled, thinking back to TJ, and the way he had taken him by the hand that afternoon. He said to himself that, after all, it was worth the wait.


	9. Just stay.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ came back again, and this time to say something very important to Cyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this song-fic was inspired by "Reflections" by The Neighbourhood. All credits to them. Also, gotta love some angst. Enjoy ;)

_Where have you been?_  
Do you know when you're coming back?  
'Cause since you've been gone  
I've got along but I've been sad

Cyrus watched him: he was on the entrance of his room and he had that usual apologetic expression. But Cyrus knew that it was like all the other times, Cyrus knew that he would only stay with him for a few days and then he would disappear again into thin air without telling him anything.

Andi and Buffy had tried to tell him to let go, but to no avail. In the end, Cyrus always came back to let him into his house, get him to sit on the bed. He always came back to kiss him, to hold him, to smell that Italian colony bought with recycled money. He always came back to let him into his life, even though he knew perfectly well that he would hurt him again, and again, and again, until he would return from his shady business.

Cyrus just wanted TJ to love him, not to suffer anymore, to be happy when he wasn't there. He never knew when he was going to leave, or when he would return, and that constant concern was always gripping his neck, except when he was with him, lying on the bed, smelling that fragrance of sea and that sweetness full of pain.

_I tried to put it out for you to get_  
Could've, should've but you never did  
Wish you wanted it a little bit  
More but it's a chore for you to give

TJ knew he'd never be able to stay. That town had become like a cage for him, and the only reason he kept coming back was him. It was that tidy room, that smell of lavender that always hovered in the air, those inviting blankets on which they had had the first kiss and the first goodbye. He came back for that smile, those eyes, those cheeks that always blushed so easily. He came back for Cyrus, to kiss him again, one more time, one last, as he always told himself at all times that he decided to return, and then left him before he woke up again, and again, and again.

His boss had warned him not to leave again, because he was in danger of losing the loads, but TJ would go back again, in the middle of the night, and then again to his boss, head down, a few days later. He didn't have a home, the certainty of being safe, a family. He only had Cyrus, and his job, and that's what his life was all about. He just had the confidence that Cyrus would open his door again, and that he'd welcome him, and kiss him like there wasn't tomorrow. And maybe there wasn't really a tomorrow for the two of them.

_Where have you been? _   
_Do you know if you're coming back?_

Cyrus never knew where TJ was disappearing, and he didn't want to know. Because he knew that if he asked him, he'd be involved in his deliveries, he knew he'd get in trouble. He never even knew if he would come back, and that kept his mouth dry, caused a lump in the pit of his stomach and he could never eat well if he thought about what might happen to him.

Cyrus had never complained to TJ about their story, about the way they were together, because when they saw each other there was no time for complaints, there was no time for words. Only for the whispers and the 'I love you''s by Cyrus never reciprocated. There was no time, just because TJ always left. Cyrus knew he couldn't stop him, and yet he would. He would have liked to have a normal life, to be a quiet person. He would have wanted with all his strength to keep TJ close to him, separate only for a few hours a day and then see him again in the evening to talk about the day, sleep and then wake up next to him to have breakfast together. But he knew it would never happen, because TJ didn't want to stay. And he wouldn't do it for all the gold in the world.

_We were too close to the stars_  
I never knew somebody like you, somebody  
Falling just as hard  
I'd rather lose someone than use someone

Cyrus sighed and waved him over. In the darkness, he barely saw TJ hint at a forced smile. "Hi" he said only. He didn't expect TJ to greet him back, because since they first broke up, he had heard his voice only once, and so many years had passed. As if he remembered it, the timbre was deep, the hoarse voice because of the smoke.

"Hi, Cyrus" TJ replied. Cyrus gasped for the unexpected response, but then smiled and felt the tears pressing to get out. «How are you?» He sat cross-legged near him, under the open window from which filtered a single beam of moonlight that illuminated part of the bed.

"Okay" he lied. Maybe TJ wouldn't ask any more questions, maybe the conversation would end there, but instead he kept surprising him. He almost sounded like another person.

"I love you too, Cyrus."

_Maybe it's a blessing in disguise (I sold my soul for you)  
I see my reflection in your eyes (tell me if you see it too)_

TJ waited for a reaction that never came. He weighed up the words that had just come out of his mouth and realized that he had finally been able to say it out loud, even if they sounded very different from how he had repeated them in his head throughout the journey.

Cyrus had stiffened by his side, TJ felt it. He had moved away slightly, and then TJ heard him get up. Cyrus stood feet in front of him, and a hand reached out in his direction. He grabbed it and got up, trying to keep eye contact with the little man in front of him.

"Why?" he asked, his voice dim, his eyes shining.

TJ sighed. "Because it's true. I wanna stay here with you."

_I know you're sick_  
Hoping you fix whatever's broken  
Ignorant bliss  
And a few sips might be the potion

Cyrus held his breath. His heart lost a beat. TJ was an asshole, but he certainly wasn't a liar. "Then stay."

"I can't. I have to get out of the business in which I am, first."

Cyrus' heart was in his throat, and the boy could not stop the first tears, which fell on his cheeks and up to his chin. He wiped them quickly and sniffed. TJ didn't seem to notice, or worry about it, but he passed a hand through his hair. "Then, go. Go away and come back when it's all over."

TJ nodded without saying anything, and Cyrus would bet everything that he was torturing his lower lip. He picked up the duffel bag that had been left abandoned by the bed and he left without even saying goodbye.

_So close, so close_  
Yet so far  
I don't know  
How to be solo  
So, don't go, oh, no, just stay

Cyrus wanted him to stay, he wanted to kiss him and hug him before he left. Yet he stood there, shedding tears as he watched them fall on the carpet.

He spent a sleepless night staring at the ceiling. Maybe his life didn't make sense now, because maybe TJ wouldn't come back at all that time.

_You and I were bright, shooting through the sky daily_  
Lighting up the night, wasn't always right, baby  
Yeah, every time that we realized it's crazy  
And you save me


	10. TJ's best day in ten years.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ's teammates don't want Cyrus at their practice. And here's why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this was requested by Dário on chapter 7. Enjoy some fluff guys <3

TJ blinked several times before opening and closing his mouth once or twice, not finding the right words.

"Kippen, are you dead?" asked Logan at one point, snapping his fingers in front of his eyes lost in the void.

He recovered himself from a beautiful dream and crossed Ethan and Noah's eyes in front of him. "Can you repeat?"

Logan sighed beside him. "We were telling you about Goodman. You've been too distracted lately."

TJ shrugged his shoulders. "What should I be distracted by?"

Logan gesticulated, as if it were obvious. "By Cyrus."

Noah nodded and TJ turned his attention to him. "When he's here, you're always so…" A slight silence fell on top of them, and Noah stopped in the middle, perhaps for fear of offending him.

"Softened" ended Ethan who, as always, was a plainspoken man.

"Yes, man, you look like a pussy," added someone on the team, and others added to his laughter.

Logan took a disgusted look at them, only to return to TJ, who still didn't understand what they wanted from him. "In short. What we're trying to say is that... you should ask Cyrus not to come again."

"Or we will!" the voice they heard before came in, and TJ saw someone banging on that idiot.

Logan totally ignored them this time. "For the team."

Just at that moment, Cyrus went back to the gym and sat down, studying them a little confused.

TJ sighed. "I'll see what I can do." Logan smiled encouragingly at him. Then someone said it was already six o'clock, and they said goodbye as the practice had come to an end.

The team headed to the dressing room, while TJ went to sit next to Cyrus with a towel resting on his shoulders. Cyrus smiled softly at him, and TJ couldn't help but reciprocate. "Training passed really fast today." Cyrus put it out there.

He nodded and took a sip from his water bottle, throwing a quick look at the phone lock screen to see if there was a missed call from his mother. Still nothing, despite Amber's messages in which she freaked out about Andi who had told her this and that, and Marty's confirming that Saturday he was free to hang out. "Would you like to come to my house?" he asked, biting his lip for a second before continuing. "We watch a movie and talk a bit."

Cyrus thought about it for a moment, but TJ knew he was doing it just to put him on pins and needles. "I'm in," he said. "as long as we see Queer Eye."

TJ looked up and chuckled. "Again?" he asked, sounding almost exasperated. Cyrus nodded and TJ imitated him – that smile was contagious. "As you wish." They got up and took their things before they left.

Outside, the stinging air of late February soured into their jackets and, as a result, Cyrus moved closer to him. "Are you cold?" asked TJ, though the answer was quite obvious. In fact, Cyrus nodded and smiled as TJ placed his hoodie over his shoulders.

"Thank you," he muttered, clinging to it as if it were a lifeline. He smiled for an inexplicable reason and continued to walk, side by side, to TJ's house.

When the door was opened, Cyrus entered first at the invitation of TJ, who sighed hearing no one in the house.

"Is Amber here?" asked Cyrus at the very moment.

The blond shook his head. "She's probably at work," he said. But, thinking back to the messages he received from his sister, he added, "or maybe she's with Andi."

The other boy shrugged his shoulders and began to go upstairs as if he were at his house. TJ reached him in the room, and closed the door behind him. Cyrus was already lying on the bed and looking around, perhaps looking for the remote control, and when he found it, he pointed it to TJ, still standing, to get it for him.

"You're too lazy," he jokingly scolded him, holding the remote control and stretching out next to him.

Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. "It's in my DNA."

They chuckled and, in silence, began to see the 20th episode of the first season, one of those that drove Cyrus crazy.

"I wanted to tell you..." TJ began, not very sure what he would say. Cyrus nodded to know more, and their eyes stuck together like pieces of a puzzle, and TJ felt that unfriendly knot at the mouth of his stomach. "Maybe you should stop coming to our practice."

Cyrus sat down and continued, very confused, looking for his gaze, that TJ dropped on everything in the room but him. "Why?"

"My teammates... Well, they think I'm too... soft if you're there." He bit his lip and tortured it until Cyrus could just say ‘Oh’.

"I understand," he added, perhaps not believing his own ears. TJ breathed a sigh of relief and finally relaxed his shoulders, in which he had clutched involuntarily. "I could... I could always come _after_ practice. And then we could have coffee together."

TJ smiled. "Maybe you meant: a macchiato coffee for me and an iced coffee with too much sugar for you."

Cyrus nodded with a sweet smile and held on to him, looking back at the television screen. On second thought, it was probably the best day TJ had had in the last ten years.


	11. Him and I.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy sees Cyrus at the park with a boy she doesn't know, and hides behind a slide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: hi guys! This one shot was inspired by a scene in a book I read when I was like ten, but I still love this. Also, it's mostly Muffy, but there's Tyrus too so read it anyway pls. R&R.

Buffy stopped suddenly. Her sneakers stopped creaking on the wet sidewalk chalk, and the headphones slipped from her ears, clanging against the pink jersey.

She couldn't believe her eyes. Cyrus, who for a few days had been behaving in a rather strange way – all too strange, if it was Cyrus Goodman – was now quietly sitting on the swing. He would write something on the phone, and then, at some point, he would look around, maybe looking for someone.

When a blonde who Buffy didn't recognize approached him, Cyrus stopped swinging, stood up, approached him with a smile, and threw himself into his open arms. Buffy was even more surprised when Cyrus raised his head and stood on his tip toes to kiss the boy.

"W-what?" she whispered to herself. By now the distance she had self-imposed to reach in that small training had totally lost importance. She decided to hide behind one of those flowerbeds on the side of the road, from which she could see the two very well, who continued to make out without shame, while a woman with a little girl a little further was looking at them quite badly.

So... Cyrus had a boyfriend? Buffy just couldn't understand _why_ he didn't tell his best friends. They said everything to each other, didn't they? Andi had told them about Jonah, Walker, and even Amber. And Buffy about Walker, who then refused badly. Anyway, Cyrus told them about his crush on Jonah, too. But this? This was totally another speech. _Cyrus Goodman_, who hadn't even come-out to his own parents, was _kissing_ a boy _in public._ It was like discovering that a civilization that had just invented the wheel was building a steam locomotive.

But what baffled her was not so much the fact that Cyrus had a boyfriend, but that he didn't tell her. They had known each other for a long time – for ten years and ten months – and they said everything to each other, even the least relevant things. How could he hide this from her and Andi? After all they had gone through together, after all the laughter and sad moments. How could he? She felt betrayed, that's all. Like Cyrus preferred someone else over the two of them. And maybe he did.

Buffy didn't break down and tried to quell the tears that wanted to get out at all costs. Crying was a stupid thing, and it certainly wouldn't fix anything at that time.

Now Cyrus and that mysterious guy were sitting on a bench not far from her flowerbed, and they were talking about who knows what. When the blonde looked in her direction, Buffy lowered her head and prayed she hadn't been seen. When she looked up, the two had returned to speak quietly.

To avoid other inconsistencies like that, Buffy decided it was time to look for a new hiding place, and spotted the closed slide pipe, on which she went as a child and that it could be a good observation point.

She rose cautiously and fled there quickly, hoping not to be noticed by someone nearby. When she came to the shelter, she turned around and...

"Hey! You're covering my view. Move over."

Buffy blinked repeatedly, surprised and indignant. "What, sorry?" she said when she found the words. "You can't give me orders, and even if you could I wouldn't follow them."

A boy her age was sitting cross-legged near one of the cracks in the game and looked at her quite annoyed. Buffy didn't break down and turned her gaze back with challenge. He passed his hand between the tuft held together by a little gel and sighed, as if he knew full well that there was no hope that she would leave. "Listen, I don't know you and I don't want to know who you are. I just want you to move just a little bit to my right so that I can see," he said in a calmer tone than before.

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same question, you know?" he replied, this time looking into her eyes and standing up.

"All right, it means I'll answer it first. My best friend is here with a guy I don't know, and I want to know who he is."

"It's amazing."

"That do I look like a stalker?"

"No, I mean... We're here for exactly the same reason!"

Buffy sat cross-legged and he imitated her, returning to the same position as before. "So, I would propose an exchange of information. What's the blonde's name?"

"TJ." Buffy raised her eyebrows, unconvinced. He put his hands forward as if to protect himself from her gaze that demanded an explanation. "Don't make that face! His name is TJ Kippen. It's short for something, but he won't want to tell me what, so don't make that face."

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "The moor with him is called Cyrus Goodman. Actually, Cyrus didn't tell me about a boyfriend."

He shrugged, frowning his forehead. "Neither did TJ to me. He didn't even tell me about… yes, you know, him being gay."

Buffy nodded. "Maybe he doesn't feel ready to let you know yet."

He gestured for a few moments, perhaps looking for the right words. He then pointed to an unspecified spot in the park. "It's out there. Kissing a boy!" he exclaimed whispering, his brown eyes looking almost frightened.

She shrugged and peeked into the park through one of the many cracks. "Now not anymore."

"What?! Are they gone?" he asked, surprised, approaching another crack near hers.

"It seems so. Maybe one day we will see them quietly entering the Spoon hand by hand as if nothing had happened," she joked, chuckling softly.

He looked up. "You go to the Spoon?"

She nodded. "Very often. With Andi and Cyrus, and sometimes even with Amber."

"Amber? The same Amber who works there? Blonde, not very tall, blue eyes, pretty smile, quite lesbian?"

"Do you know each other?" Buffy asked, frowning, this time, her forehead.

He nodded. "She's TJ's older sister. And she dated Jonah Beck for a while."

"Oh yes, I know Jonah, though not very well."

"We haven't introduced ourselves yet," he pointed out.

"I'm Buffy." And she held out her hand towards him.

Soon after, he squeezed it. "Marty."


	12. Some things are meant to be.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andi drives TJ to his date and then heads towards Buffy's house, but Jonah texts her, saying he wants to introduce her someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: hey everybody! I'm back. So, this is my first Ambi so don't judge XD. First part of a three shots called "Can't help falling in love". Also, happy birthday Andi <3

Andi would have given anything to avoid accompanying him. To avoid accompanying TJ on that date of his, which he's been talking about continuously for a week now. Instead, she was there, with her hands on the steering wheel watching the road, while her best friend was giving her directions to the new diner, where the aforementioned appointment would be held.

"Turn right," TJ said next to her, his eyes on his smartphone screen. His hair was gel-free after a long time - and honestly Andi thought it was better that way - and his athletic physique was perfectly wrapped in jeans and a simple blue shirt, never used.

"TJ, for the thousandth time: I know where it is." The notes of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' began to fill the passenger compartment and Andi began tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. TJ gave her such a worried look that it made her worry - she had never seen him like that. "What's going on?" she asked then, lowering the volume of the radio.

Andi didn't need any answers, though. She had known TJ since they were children, and one of the things she was certain of was his body language. When he had a gigantic crush on someone, he always tried to touch their hand, or hug them for no apparent reason. When he was very nervous, the nerves in his shoulders stiffened and his breathing was slower and heavier. And now his shoulders were strained, his breath irregular.

"The appointment could go wrong," muttered TJ, so softly that Andi could barely hear him. " What if it's really bad?" he continued, slightly louder.

Andi smiled at him for a moment before returning her attention to the busy road. "It will be fine, you'll see. I don't know..." She stopped talking, gesturing for a moment in search of his name, which went out of her head.

"Cyrus," TJ completed, hinting at a smile pulled by the grimace painted on his friend's face.

"I don't know Cyrus," she said. "but I'm sure he's a very special guy and he's _really very_ lucky to go out with you."

TJ smiled through the window reflection, his eyes pointed at the sidewalk chalk darting to their right. "Thank you," he said softly. Andi knew it was very important for TJ to feel comfortable, and she would do anything to make him happy, even punch a Reed with a gun.

The diner's sign, the Spoon, appeared in front of them, and TJ settled in the seat. Andi tried to calm him down with some pats on his shoulder, but almost without success. When they were close enough, TJ asked her to pull over, and when she shut down the engine, he breathed out an agitated sigh. "How do I look?" he asked.

The moor glanced at him with a smug look. "Decent," she said, trying to sound as casual as possible. TJ was visibly unhappy with that answer, and Andi smiled softly. "If you only knew how beautiful you are..." she corrected herself then.

He smiled and was about to get out before stopping and glancing at her gratefully. "Thank you," he said, in a more serious tone.

Andi raised both thumbs in his direction with a smile. He got out of the car, still hesitant but certainly less agitated than he was a few minutes before. He closed the door with a small thud and Andi watched him approach the diner and enter.

She breathed a sigh of relief, finally free from TJ's anxiety. In fact, she was still very worried about her friend's date, but she was confident about the idea of Cyrus that she had been making up in her mind that week.

When she left for Buffy's house, the sky was fading from a bright red at the horizon to a light orange, to a light blue that looked timidly on blue. Cars were flowing slowly down the lane, and Andi found herself bottled in her small personal traffic, which seemed to follow her wherever she went. She then took advantage of the situation by taking a peek at her phone screen.

**Sk8r boi <33:** the appointment is going great! and Cyrus complimented me for the shirt uwu <3

Andi smiled at the message and responded, taking a quick glance at the still-standing cars in front of her. "Then he has good taste ;D" answered, writing with one hand.

**Party queen <33:** where are you?

"In traffic -_-" she replied. Her eyebrows frowned slightly when she noticed a message from Jonah, who she hadn't heard in a while.

**beef <3:** Hey, andiman, I have a person to introduce you to.

Andi replied that she was supposed to meet with Buffy, but that they had no specific plans. Jonah, as usual, answered her in a second.

**beef <3:** Well, let's meet at the music store!

Finally, the cars in line began to move and Andi was able to get rid of the traffic. She stopped the car in front of her best friend's house, got off quickly and rang the doorbell. A Buffy in a basketball tracksuit opened her the door with a smile and invited her in.

"Let's go to the music store," Andi said.

Buffy frowned. "Why?"

Andi twisted her hands. "Jonah invited us."

"Come on, don't tell me you feel something for him _again_!" exclaimed Buffy, walking away from the door to head to the room to change.

Andi walked in without giving too much notice - only because she had known Buffy for twelve years, and they shared pretty much everything - and she closed the door behind her. She followed her friend to the blue-walled room, only to stop at the doorway. "No!" she exclaimed then, leaning on the jamb. "We haven't seen him in a long time, and he told me he wants to introduce me to someone."

Although Buffy turned around and shrugged her shoulders as she opted for a pair of denim jeans and a short, pink long-sleeved sweatshirt, Andi was able to imagine her rolling her eyes. "When will you realize it's just an excuse to see you?"

"What's wrong with that? Now we hardly ever see each other since he signed that contract with the record company, and it shouldn't be a problem to see us as _friends._ Friends, and nothing more."

"If you say so," Buffy concluded with a sigh. Then she turned to her and changed the topic in a second. She kept the outfit she had chosen for the hangers and held it on her as if she were wearing it. "What do you think?"

"Since when do you _really_ care of what you wear?" Buffy frowned slightly, hinting at a bold smile, while Andi rethought Buffy's behavior over time and in various situations. "Oh, yes! When there's a boy!" she exclaimed shortly afterwards. Buffy avoided looking her in the eye, and that was the definitive confirmation of Andi's theory. "Ah-ah! What's his name? Is he our age? Do I know him?" asked Andi, trying to breathe in the meantime. "Does he play basketball? Is he friends with TJ? How did you meet him?"

"Do you want me to answer all the questions?"

"I know you remember them, so... Yes, please."

Buffy sighed and sat on the bed, abandoning her clothes and losing all the interest she could have towards them. "Marty, he's our age, you don't know him, he doesn't play basketball and he's not friends with TJ. I've met him around."

"'Around' sounds a little vague, huh?"

Buffy hinted at a smile and rolled her eyes. "At the studio."

"The dance one?!" asked Andi, puzzled, settling on the bed next to her friend. She'd never heard of a guy at Buffy's studio, but maybe he was a new entry.

"He doesn't dance," Buffy added, predicting her friend's question. "He's our new photographer."

"The photographer, huh?" asked Andi, raising her eyebrows and elbowing Buffy, sitting next to her.

She smiled and got up. "Shall we go?"

-

When the music store bell rang over their heads, Andi noticed Jonah among the people still walking around the store. Her father greeted her with a smile behind the counter as he spoke to some customers, and also greeted Buffy with a hand gesture.

Jonah was sitting on one of the sofas, talking to a blonde girl, long hair gathered in a half-chignon. The movements were graceful and all of her indicated a good education and perfect parents. The posture was impeccably straight, and the legs crumpled gently were smooth and well-groomed. A short peach dress that fell to her knees wrapped her slender body, illuminating her fairly light complexion. Two parallel black bands brought out her breasts, slightly visible from her heart-shaped neckline. Everything about her made Andi ashamed of those miserable jeans, accompanied by a striped short-sleeved shirt, which she chose to go out that night.

Only when they approached, Andi also noticed the blue and clear eyes like the sky of a beautiful summer morning, and the impeccable makeup of a light pink, that matched the dress.

"Hey, Andi! Buffy!" exclaimed Jonah, rising to his feet. He had grown a lot since they had last seen each other and if you could have called him cute before, he was now _gorgeous_ to say the least: the face was cleaner, and less childish; the hair pulled up with the gel was the same length, but seemed more natural. The style was more or less always the same as the younger Jonah Beck, but much more sophisticated. In fact, the jeans were tighter, and the white background shirt featured the cover of the most famous Rolling Stones album. "How are you?" he asked, after hugging both of them.

"Well, I'd say. The season is about to begin and I hope to win this one too," Buffy boasted at that point.

Jonah chuckled, perhaps thinking back to all the times he had been beaten by Buffy in a sport. "I understand. Last season I came to see you once or twice and you were fantastic!"

"The album, on the other hand? I know the first one will come out soon," Andi said, just to secure herself a place in the conversation.

Jonah shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think I can reveal much by contract, but I can assure you that there are both moments when I have felt something," he joked, in memory of her old joke made in his presence.

Buffy and Andi chuckled, and all three of them sat down, who in the armchairs, who on the couch next to the beautiful stranger.

"Um, I don't think I know you," Buffy pointed out, addressing the blonde in front of her. "I'm Buffy Driscoll."

"Amber," she said, holding out her hand. Buffy squeezed it and Andi did the same immediately after.

"Andi Mack, nice to meet you," she added with a smile. Perhaps it was an impression of her, but their handshake lasted slightly longer than expected, and even the blonde's gaze remained on her for too long before moving towards Buffy.

"You play basketball, if I understood correctly." Buffy frowned, and Amber gestured gracefully toward Jonah. "Jonah often talks about all of you."

Buffy nodded. "Yes, I'm on a girls' team."

"She played with TJ," Jonah added soon after. "and she entered Jefferson's history as the first girl on the boys' basketball team and as the founder and coach of the girls' team."

Andi knew Buffy so well that she would bet everything on the fact that her friend was blushing for flattery now, but none of the presents seemed to notice. "And you, on the other hand? What do you do in your life? And how do you know Jonah?" asked Buffy to Amber.

"We were together for a while, but we were friends even after the breakup. Let's just say I'm her make-up artist for concerts and interviews."

"Oh, a make-up artist!" exclaimed Andi at that time, before Buffy could ask more questions. "My mother is, too. She owns Cloud Ten."

"Uh, I know that place!" she exclaimed, digging her legs and assuming a more decomposed posture. "That's where I get the makeup products. Congratulations to your mother, her products are great!"

She blushed slightly, and said she would deliver the message. Luckily, Jonah spoke. "Andi, have you received any offers? I turned over the link of your video to my manager, but he didn't let me know anything anymore."

She shook her head in response and then added that no, she had not yet been contacted by anyone, but that she had now reached one million views on YouTube.

"It's docious-magocious!" exclaimed Jonah, perhaps reflexively.

Buffy burst out laughing loudly, so loud that many in the store turned to throw glances of disapproval. "Sorry," he said through tears, when she finished laughing. "It was so much that I didn't hear that expression, and it made me a strange effect."

"Um, we noticed," Andi replied wryly, to which Buffy glanced at her as if to say 'Really, Andi? Is that what you wanna say after _docious-magocious_?'.

"Buffy, can I talk to you in private?" asked Jonah at that point, perhaps trying to get Andi out of trouble.

"Yes, but if it's Natalie, I don't want to know what happened to her."

"It's Natalie, but nothing happened to her."

Buffy rolled her eyes and left the place near Andi empty. Before she left, taken by her wrist by Jonah, she pointed her finger at Andi and said, "It's not over, Mack!"

Amber smiled at her. "Anyway."

Andi settled down well to look at those blue, almost hypnotic eyes. Not knowing how well it would end, she smiled back. "Anyway."


End file.
